Another thing you can do with the vanilla pods is slice them open, scrape out all the gooey innards & mix them with some sugar. Stick the sliced bean in the sugar and store for a couple of months - vanilla sugar! Very tasty in coffee and on top of cookies.
I made this air freshener today and boy is it yummy!! I put a small fan next to the stove and my whole house smells awesome! Thanks for posting the link!